Missionaries of the Sacred Heart – MSC

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Terry McKiernan February 27, 2021

15 Accused in This Religious Order

Fr. Edward Lawrence Ball

Order: MSC
Ordained: 1966
Status: Convicted

Died: 10/25/2016
Diocese: Diocese of San Bernardino CA

Indicted in 9/1992 on four counts of abuse of a minor; pleaded guilty to one count. Sentenced to nine months in jail and five years probation. Three victims. Family of two boys settled out of court in 1994. Criminally charged in 1999 with 31 counts of sexually abusing two other boys 1979-1986. Sentenced to three years in prison. Settlement of $4.2M from Diocese and Order in 6/2003. On Sex Offender Registry. On San Bernardino diocese's list 10/9/2018. Died in 2016. Included on the Order's list of credibly accused.

Assignments:

BA.org Assignment Record

Sources:

Br. William Bedard

Donate Photo

Order: MSC
Status: Accused

Died: 11/1/1996
Diocese: Diocese of Joliet IL

Named publicly as credibly accused of the sexual abuse of minors by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart USA Province on its list sometime prior to 8/25/2022. The list notes that Bedard was accused in 1963 and 1977. He died in 1996. (Placing him in the Diocese of Joliet, where the Province is based.)

Sources:

Missionaries of the Sacred Heart List 08.25.22

Fr. James D. Campbell

Donate Photo

Order: MSC
Ordained: 1972
Status: Convicted

Diocese: Diocese of Providence RI

Assigned to a parish in West Warwick, RI and Rhode Island Medical Center 7/1975 -11/1977. Placed on leave by Order in 2002 after allegations of abuse of a boy in Worcester, MA. Indicted in 9/2003. Convicted in 2004 of abuse of two teens, one a girl. Sentenced in 1/2005 to 90 days in house of correction and 10 years probation. Laicization announced in 3/2005. On Diocese of Rockford's list 11/14/2018. Died in 2007. On Providence diocese's list 7/1/2019. Also included on the the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart USA list of credibly accused. Included in the 5/23/2023 IL Attorney General's Report.

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Fr. Robert Cell

Order: MSC
Ordained: 1947
Status: Accused

Died: 12/11/2004
Diocese: Diocese of Joliet IL

Named publicly as credibly accused of the sexual abuse of minors by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart USA Province on its list sometime prior to 8/25/2022. It notes that Cell was accused in 1985 and died in 2004. (Placing him in the Diocese of Joliet, where the Province is based.)

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Fr. Daniel P. Cipar

Order: MSC
Ordained: 1961
Status: Accused

Died: 02/2/2018
Diocese: Diocese of Youngstown OH

Named publicly as credibly accused by the Youngstown diocese when added to its list in 3/2020. Arrived in the diocese in 1993, incardinated in 2002. (Was ordained for the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.) Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in East Palestine 1993 until his 2010 retirement. Member of the diocese's Priests' Personnel Board, Priests' Council and Priests' Retirement Board. Died 2/2/2018. Added to the Diocese of Rockford's list 10/21/2020. Included on the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart U.S. Province list of credibly accused. Included in the 5/23/2023 IL Attorney General's Report.

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Fr. Philip DeRea

Order: MSC
Ordained: 1968
Status: Sued

Died: 06/21/2017
Diocese: Archdiocese of Washington DC and MD

Catholic chaplain for the Indy Racing League since 1971. Placed on leave in 12/2010 after the Order learned of allegations that he had abused a boy for about 8 years, beginning in 1980 when the boy was age 11. Civil suit filed 4/14/2011 in Chicago where the Order is based. Complaint alleges that DeRea used his connections with the racing world and celebrities to make the plaintiff feel honored to be associated with him. Died 6/21/2017. Included on the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart USA list of credibly accused.

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Fr. Joseph Arthur Francoeur

Order: MSC
Ordained: 1939
Status: Sued

Died: 12/2/1988
Diocese: Diocese of Ogdensburg NY

Referred to as J. Arthur or Joseph A. Longtime pastor of Sacred Heart in Watertown, NY. Also known to have worked in the Dioceses of Providence, RI and St. Petersburg, FL. Died 12/2/1988. Accused in a lawsuit filed in 8/2019 under the NY Child Victims Act. Included on the Missionaries of Sacred Heart USA Province list of credibly accused.

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Fr. Joseph Jablonski

Order: MSC
Ordained: 1976
Status: Accused

Diocese: Diocese of San Bernardino CA

First named publicly as accused on the San Bernardino Diocese's list 10/9/2018. Abuse allegedly occurred in 2014. Reported to the Diocese and police in 5/2014. Per the Diocese, Jablonski was visiting and did not have faculties there. Added to the Rockford IL Diocese's list in 10/2020. Added to Joliet's list in 2/2021, where he was a supply priest 8/2011-3/2019. Joliet faculties were removed in 3/2019. Included on the Sacred Heart Missionaries USA Province list of credibly accused. Included in the 5/23/2023 IL Attorney General's Report, which notes two "reported survivors," of abuse in 2014 and 2015.

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Br. Richard Kuhl

Order: MSC
Status: Sued

Died: 07/1/2009
Diocese: Diocese of Rockford IL

Professed final vows in 1954. In about 1996 five women filed four lawsuits alleging abuse by Kuhl when they were children. All dismissed in 1/2000 by the IL Supreme Court due to the statute of limitations. A woman filed a suit 11/2003 claiming Kuhl abused her 1974-1982. The suit also says the mother of another victim had complained to the Order before 1974 and that nothing was done, and that there were at least six victims. Kuhl died in 2009. Included on the Rockford diocese's list 11/14/2018. On the Sacred Heart Missionaries USA Province list of credibly accused. Included in the 5/23/2023 IL Attorney General's Report.

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Fr. Christopher LeMay

Donate Photo

Order: MSC
Status: Accused

Diocese: Diocese of Rockford IL

Named publicly as credibly accused by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart USA Province on its list in 2020. It notes allegation(s) received in 2018, and that he died in 1995.

Sources:

Missionaries of the Sacred Heart U.S. List accessed 10.27.20

Br. Patrick O’Hara

Order: MSC
Status: Accused

Died: 05/17/2008
Diocese: Diocese of Rockford IL

Named publicly as accused by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart USA Province on its list of credibly accused in 2020. It notes allegation(s) reported in 2005. It does not reveal when or where the abuse took place. O'Hara died in 5/17/2008. Per his obituary, he entered Sacred Heart Mission Seminary in 1957 and professed final vows in 1969. He taught in Geneva and St. Charles IL early on, then spent many years in Papua New Gunea, Diocese of Kavieng. He returned to the U.S. in 2004 "due to poor health" and soon "took up residence" at the Paraclete's Vianney Renewal Center in MO.

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Fr. Javier Ochoa

Donate Photo

Order: MSC
Status: Accused

Diocese: Archdiocese of Los Angeles CA

Named publicly as accused on the Los Angeles archdiocese's updated list 12/6/2018. Allegations reported in 2017 of incidents 1995-2002. Ochoa died in 2014.

Sources:

Archdiocese of Los Angeles Update 12.06.18

Fr. Leo Petit

Order: MSC
Ordained: 1951
Status: Accused

Died: 03/21/2014
Diocese: Diocese of Rockford IL

Petit's name appeared in 2020 on the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart USA Province list of those with credible allegations of the sexual abuse of minors. It notes allegation(s) against Petit reported in 1993. He retired in 2001. Died 3/21/2014. Per his obituary, Petit taught for 14 years at Sacred Heart Seminary, was director in communication/vocation positions, and did mission work in Colombia, South America. Added 10/21/2020 to the Diocese of Rockford's list. Included in the 5/23/2023 IL Attorney General's Report.

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Fr. Roger A. Sullivan

Order: MSC
Status: Sued

Diocese: Diocese of Camden NJ

Named publicly in 6/2021 by Attorney Jeff Anderson as the subject of claim(s) of child sexual abuse in the Camden diocese's bankruptcy case.

Sources:

NJ.com 06.21.21

Fr. Patrick J. Walsh

Donate Photo

Order: MSC
Ordained: 1952
Status: Accused

Diocese: Archdiocese of San Antonio TX

First named publicly as accused on Little Rock diocese's 9/10/2018 list. Worked in diocese 1976-1987. Suspended by Order in 2004. Died in 2011. One known victim. Per news in 2/2019, a 60-year-old man told the archdiocese on 2/1/2019 that Walsh abused him 50 years prior, when he was an altar boy at St. Anthony's in San Antonio TX. (The 1970 Official Catholic Directory, which reflects 1969-1970, confirms that Walsh was there.) He said Walsh would fondle him and give him money repeatedly over a two-year period. He said he confronted Walsh 30 years prior, and that the priest both denied the abuse and asked for forgiveness. On the Covington diocese's list 7/31/2020; assigned in 1971 to Christ the King in Lexington. On Lexington's list in 8/2020, noting he was at Lexington Catholic High 1971-1974 and that there are two, possibly three, known victims in Lexington. Walsh would take children to a lake house.

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